Collapsible firearm



Oct. 28, 1930. J. w. HARRINGTON COLLAPSIBLE FIREARM Filed Sept. 14, 1928 2 Sheets-Sheet l finzw {13/5/7172 fora Oct. 28, 1930. J. w. HARRINGTON COLLAPSIBLE FIREARM Filed Sept. 14, 1928 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 J/zzzf Jar/159M Patented Oct. 28, 1930 UNITED STATES T orsrcs JOHN W. HARRINGTON, OF WORCESTER, MASSACHUSETTS, ASSIGNOR TO HARRINGTON & RICHARDSON ARMS COMPANY, OF WORCESTER, MASSACHUSETTS, A CORPORATION OF MASSACHUSETTS COLLAPSIBLE FIREARM Application filed September 14, 1928. Serial No. 305,940.

My invention relates to firearms andhas for its object to provide a collapsible arm of the rifle or shot gun type so constructed that the barrel thereof may be readily folded back upon the frame and stock, to enable the arm to be collapsed and so occupy a small space, without taking it apart.

In the accompanying drawings Fig. 1 is a view in side elevation of an arm embodying my invention.

Fig. 2 is a view similar to Fig. 1, showing the arm with its barrel unlocked to open the breech thereto.

Fig. 3 is a view in side elevation showing 5 the arm in collapsed condition with its barrel swung back upon the frame.

Fig. 4; is a plan view of the parts shown in Fig. 3.

Fig. 5 is view partially in section showing the barrel locked in its firing position.

Fig. 6 is a view partially in section showing the barrel folded back.

F ig..7 is a fragmentary sectional view on the line 7-7 of Fig. 5, showing on an enlarged scale the details of the positioning device for the pivoted barrel.

Like reference characters refer to like parts in the different figures.

Referring first to Fig. 1, the arm generally consists of a metallic frame 1, to which is attached a wooden stock 2 of usual construction. The forward part of frame 1 provides a pair of spaced lugs 3 through which extends a pivot screw 4 on which is mounted the gun barrel 5. As best shown in Figs. 4 and 6, the gun barrel 5 provides near its rear end a downwardly extending pivot lug 6 received between the spaced lugs 3 of the frame 1, so that the barrel 5 is capable of pivotal movement on the screw 4 with respect to the frame 1. The rear end of the barrel 5 also provides a locking lug 7, the end of which provides a seat 7 adapted to be engaged by a locking bolt 8 carried by the frame 1, the function of the bolt 8 being to maintain the barrel 5 in the position shown in Figs. 1 and 5 when the arm is in firing condition. The bolt 8 is adapted to be operated by turning a top lever 9, and as this construction is usual in guns of this type the bolt 8 and lever 9 are not shown in detail and form no part of the present invention.

When it is desired to unlock the gun for the purpose of loading, or for ejecting a discharged shell, the lever 9 is turned to withdraw the locking bolt 8 from the lug seat 7*, whereupon the gun barrel 5-may be turned into the position shown in Fig. 2 in which the breecho-f the barrel 5 is open. While with breech opening guns, as heretofore constructed, it has only been possible to turn the barrel into the open position shown in Fig. 2, it is obvious that with my improved construction it is possible to turn the barrel 5 all the way back upon the frame 1, as shown in Fig. 3. In order to prevent the complete folding back of the gun barrel 5, when it is only desired to open the breech of the gun, my invention contemplates the provision of means for imposing a frictional resistance to the turning of the barrel 5 after it has been moved to the open breech position of Fig. 2.

To this end, that portion of the locking lug slot 10 adjacent to the pivot lugs 3 is closed by a block 11 providing-a recess 12 in which is received a ball 13 that is pressed outwardly by a spring 1 1 received in the recess 12 behind the ball 13. The ball 13 therefore bears with considerable pressure on the rounded surface of the barrel pivot lug 6' and this pressure is sufiicient to imposea'n appreciable frictional resistance to the turning of the barrel 5 on' its pivot 4. In order to impose a positive check on the turning of the barrel 5 when the breech is opened asshownin Fig. 2, the surface of the lug 6 provides a seat 15 for the ball 13, which seat 15 is long enough so that the ball 13 is received therein both when the barrel is looked, as in Fig. 1, and

also when the barrel 5 has been turned just enough to open the breech, as in Fig. 2.

With the above construction, it is obvious that when the user of the gun unlocks the barrel 5 in order to merely open the breech, as shown in Fig. 2, then the ball 13 will serve to prevent the barrel 5 from being turned too far when it encounters the end of the seat 15. Should it be desired, however, to completely fold back the barrel 5, it is only necessary to apply enough force in order to cause the ball 13 to be unseated, whereupon the barrel 5 may be turned relatively freely to fold it backupon the frame 1, as shown in Fig. 3. V a g I In order to maintain the barrel 5 in its folded back position, the surface of the barrel lug 6 provides a second seat 16 which is adapted to receive. the ball 13 only when i the barrel 5 has been completely folded back on the frame 1 as shown in Fig. 6. When it is desired to unfol-dthe barrel and to place it in firing condition, a force applied tothe end of the folded barrel 5 will cause the ball 13 tobe forced out of the second seat 16. A continuation of this unfolding move ment Will cause the barrel 5 to be locked in the closed breech position of Fig. 1 without any appreciable opposition from the ball 13 as it passes into the elongated seat 15. a

In other words, when unfolding the gun, the turningof the barrel 5 is continuous due to the fact that considerable initial force must be applied in order to-release the ball 13 from the-second seat 16. On the other hand, the

relatively small force applied to the barrel 5 when unlocking the. same by means of the lever 9, would not ordinarily cause the barrel 5 to be turned further than shown in Fig. 2, due to the engagement of the ball 13 with the end of the sea-t 15 assoon as the barrel 5 has been turned far enough on its pivot 4 to open the breech.

' From the foregoing then, it is apparent that by my invention I have provided an im- 7 ,proved'coll'apsible firearm that may be readily folded to bring the barrel back on the frame, thereby decreasing the overall length of the gun by "almost half; My improved construction is such that the collapsible feature does not in any way interfere with the normal operation of the arm, as when opening" the breech for reloading. With the positive check provided by the ball 13 it would be very unlikely, in normal operation, for a user to fold the barrel back onto the frame, when it was merely desired toopen the chamber,sinceonly a very slight force need be applied in order to unlock the barrel when turning the top lever 9. Obviously, my invention is, susceptible of modification and rearrangement of parts, without departing fro-m the principle thereof; and I desirethat only such limitations! be imposed thereon as may come Within the scope of the appended claims.

I claim: 7

1. A collapsible fire arm, comprising a frame having a barrel pivotally mounted on a fixed axis on said frame, and means for limiting the pivotal movement of said barrel on said frame first in an open breech position and then in a collapsed position, folded back on said frame.

2. A collapsible fire arm, comprising a frame having a barrel pivotally mounted thereon, means for maintaining said barrel in a closedbreech position, means-for releasingsaid barrel to permit pivotal movement thereof, and yieldable means for limiting pivotalmovement of said barrel after it has been turned to an open breech position, said yieldable means; being also adapted to maintain said barrel in a collapsed position after it has been folded back on said frame.

' 8. A collapsible fire armcomprising a frame providing a fixed pivot, a barrel mounted on said pivot, means for maintaining said barrel in aclosed breech position on said frame and for releasing said barrel to permit its being turned on said pivot to an open breech position and means for yieldingly opposing pivotal movement of said barrel on said frame after said barrel has been turned to an'open breech position, said yieldable means being also adapted to maintain said barrel in a collapsed position after it has been folded'back on said frame from its open breech position.

4. A collapsible fire arm comprising a frame providing a pair of spaced lugs, a

barrel providing a downwardly extending pivot lug received between the lugs 'onsaid frame, a pivot pin extendingthrough said engaged lugs and a spring pressed member carried by said frame adapted to bear on the pivot lug carried by said barrel toimpose a frictional resistance tothe turning of said barrel on said pivot pin, said pivot lug providing a seat for receiving said spring pressed member whereby toimpose a yield able limit to thefurther turning of said barrel on said frame after it reaches-an open breech position. r g

6. A collapsible fire arm comprising a frame providing a pair of spaced lugs, a barrel providing a downwardly extending pivot lug received between the lugson said frame, a pivot pin extending through said engaged lugs and a spring pressed member carried by said frame adapted to bear on the pivot lug carried by said barrel to impose a frictional resistance to the turning of said barrel on said pivot pin, said pivot lug providing angularly spaced seats for receiving the spring pressed member of said frame whereby t0 frictionally oppose further turning of said barrel on said frame after it has been turned to an open breech position and after it has been folded back on said frame. Dated this fourth day of September 1928. JOHN W. HARRINGTON. 

